Posted on 04/12/2011 10:58:10 AM PDT by Qbert
(CBS/AP) Details of the $38 billion worth of spending cuts factoring in last Friday's 11th-hour budget that averted a government shutdown have been released, but the cuts, while historic, were significantly eased by pruning money left over from previous years, using accounting sleight of hand and going after programs President Barack Obama had targeted anyway.
[Snip]
Many of the cuts appear to have been cuts in name only, because they came from programs that had unspent funds.
For example, $1.7 billion left over from the 2010 census; $3.5 billion in unused children's health insurance funds; $2.2 billion in subsidies for health insurance co-ops (that's something the president's new health care law is going to fund anyway); and $2.5 billion from highway programs that can't be spent because of restrictions set by other legislation.
About $10 billion of the cuts comes from targeting appropriations accounts previously used by lawmakers for so-called earmarks - pet projects like highways, water projects, community development grants and new equipment for police and fire departments. Republicans had already engineered a ban on earmarks when taking back the House this year.
Republicans also claimed $5 billion in savings by capping payments from a fund awarding compensation to crime victims. Under an arcane bookkeeping rule -- used for years by appropriators -- placing a cap on spending from the Justice Department crime victims fund allows lawmakers to claim the entire contents of the fund as "budget savings." The savings are awarded year after year.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Don’t discount this entirely folks. Such ‘cuts’ may not be coming from ‘real’ programs, but if left in place they’d end up in Obama’s slush fund. It may not be as much as we want, but it’s more than nothing.
The more I hear of the details the more I think Boehner is a damned fool.
Republican? How about Dem lite?
Tea party has been played for fools.
Can we replace Boehner with Ryan?
FUBO indeed.
“It may not be as much as we want, but it’s more than nothing.”
I disagree. The media is already starting to spin this as “Obama was brilliant in duping the Repubs” (so much for that short-lived “victory” lap for Boehner).
Sure, the media would’ve spun away if there was a shutdown, but at least we would’ve gotten something out if it, unlike this phony nonsense.
CUT = Government can NOT spend it.
I am tired of these “WHINE, WHINE, WHINE, it's not perfect, kill it” types.
I will settle for a snail's pace as long as it is in the right direction. Thousand league boots would be better, but I am an adult and know you can't get everything you want.
If they had cut $1 trillion, the media would have given credit to obama and blamed the R's for starving old folks and children.
None of these guys can see past his own nose on what needs doing.
They are still jockeying for the best political advantage (the Democrats more so than the Republicans) when they need to be objective about actions and consequences.
I am so sick of their politicizing MY future.
ping
“If you are letting the legacy media set your opinion, you need help.”
You missed my point entirely. The MSM is going to trash Republicans in whatever they do, so why not do the right thing for once?
No idea where you are at in life but I’d hate to be entering the job market fresh out of college at this point.
Social security, dedicare, medicaide, gub mint med programe, etc etc etc and the bill keep growing and the baby boomers are just starting to retire.
And neither of these parties will confront the root problems.
Pass it along for the future.
BS.. Obama for one did not have a budget and the one he finally did to show he is dear leader increases. I believed he called it “investing in our future.”
Guess the goal posts moved...again.
Yep, this is only the opening round of budget battles. Best to take away some of their "ammunition".
“Don’t discount this entirely folks. Such ‘cuts’ may not be coming from ‘real’ programs, but if left in place they’d end up in Obama’s slush fund.”
This is true. You have to take them off the table.
But it’s also true to realize that these are not real ‘cuts’.
here’s the REAL rubber meets road - the GOP HR1 had a bunch of spending items. What does this bill do that is different?
If the 2012 budget no matter what the final numbers are, Don't Publish specific on what got cut there is going to be RINO blood in the Water come 2012.
A 459 page budget is the first problem. Wonder how much money they have listed in their for DOD TP
it is becoming more and more clear this was a slap at the tea party winners and a slap at the voters SPECIFICALLY.
The leaderships of both parties are sucker punching the public and the MSM utterly failed to report this.
it is GOVERNMENT run media at its lowest.
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